Question about "stories"

Nurses HIPAA

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psu_213, BSN, RN

3,878 Posts

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I read it more like the cliche-ish figure of speech, "That made me so happy, I want to share it with the world!" Which is different from, "That made me so happy that I want to post it on Twitter so the entire world can hear about it!"

I read it like NICURN did. When someone first mentioned social media my first thought was "wait, the OP never said anything about social media." My second thought was "never, ever, even, never post anything on social media about work." Even the most innocent sounding or generic comments

can be misinterpreted and get you into a world of trouble.

Also, I see nothing wrong with saying to a family member or friend "one of our residents walked for the first time in months" or "I'm so happy that one of the residents made enough progress in their therapy to go back home." Again, though, keep it vague and be absolutely sure no identifying info is in those statements.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 5,114 Posts

Stickies used to be listed at the bottom of the forums,but now you have to go looking for them. This is the answer you seek:

https://allnurses.com/hipaa-nursing-c...on-693686.html

delphine22

306 Posts

Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.

My rule of thumb is, if the patient him/herself could read/hear what you are saying about them, and know you are talking about them, stop. Even with no names or identifiers, like another poster said, details make it specific. "I'm so glad I helped someone reach their functional goals this week" is better than "I helped a man walk today for the first time in months." If he were reading that he'd know it was him.

I have a second employer who doesn't want to be mentioned AT ALL on social media, including tagging yourself at their location. And I'm hesitant about posting stuff that's obviously during my normal work hours, bc I don't want to give the impression I'm Facebooking at work.

Lioness333

31 Posts

This site IS social media. I do not friend co-workers online ANYWHERE. I do not give identifiable information. I DO have the right, under the Supreme Court, to go home and say "I got punched in the face by an old lady today..." on my FB. SAME AS I WOULD HERE. FB is often my place to vent to my friends. I do not identify my employer, "like" the company page, nothing. However, if I were ever pulled in and told "a coworker has a mutual friend and she said you posted that you were frustrated..." I am fully prepared to legally defend myself.

Thimbalina

119 Posts

I'm not planning on nor have I ever done it but I was wondering after reading this discussion… if your Facebook is set to 'friends only' how would the whole world read it and how would the hospital find out… On another note: i recently deleted Facebook because GOD ONLY KNOWS what is on it with all the 'liking' of this or that and comments some of my irreverent and obnoxious friends make. lol. I decided that while I'm trying to find a job to just NOT HAVE THAT ACCOUNT… but anyways, I would like to know how on earth people can post things that get them fired if it is 'friends only'…

trudeyRN

54 Posts

I'm not planning on nor have I ever done it but I was wondering after reading this discussion… if your Facebook is set to 'friends only' how would the whole world read it and how would the hospital find out… On another note: i recently deleted Facebook because GOD ONLY KNOWS what is on it with all the 'liking' of this or that and comments some of my irreverent and obnoxious friends make. lol. I decided that while I'm trying to find a job to just NOT HAVE THAT ACCOUNT… but anyways, I would like to know how on earth people can post things that get them fired if it is 'friends only'…

I would imagine it is because even when you set the limits on a FB account, the wonderful power of "six points of separation" is still at work- you may restrict things to friends only, but what if your friends "let it all hang out"? Does your info hang out there too, with your friend's info?

That's a guess and a question. I'm not on FB (personal choice- not vilifying FB). When my friend attempted to convince me why I should be on there, saying the filters would allow me to restrict readership, I kind of debunked her illusions of how much you can limit by pulling up details about her through another person's page.

And Lioness333, I would agree that AN is social media, though I don't think I have the legal wherewithal to mind my P's and Q's for me so I will continue to watch what I say:linkme:

delphine22

306 Posts

Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.
I DO have the right, under the Supreme Court, to go home and say "I got punched in the face by an old lady today..." on my FB.

Unless you're referencing some Supreme Court decision I'm unfamiliar with. . .the First Amendment (which is what I guess you're referring to) that gives you the right to "freedom of speech," does not give you the right to say whatever you want, whenever you want. Sometime during the day you were hired you signed a paper that included some sort of Internet conduct policy, forbidding you to divulge pt information or hospital business on any social media, on or off the clock.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
This site IS social media. I do not friend co-workers online ANYWHERE. I do not give identifiable information. I DO have the right, under the Supreme Court, to go home and say "I got punched in the face by an old lady today..." on my FB. SAME AS I WOULD HERE. FB is often my place to vent to my friends. I do not identify my employer, "like" the company page, nothing. However, if I were ever pulled in and told "a coworker has a mutual friend and she said you posted that you were frustrated..." I am fully prepared to legally defend myself.
Could you please cite the supreme court decision when this has been challenged with PHI, HIPAA, and a facilities social media policy?

I hope you are prepared to defend yourself. My suggestion. Get ...you are going to need it.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I'm not planning on nor have I ever done it but I was wondering after reading this discussion… if your Facebook is set to 'friends only' how would the whole world read it and how would the hospital find out… On another note: i recently deleted Facebook because GOD ONLY KNOWS what is on it with all the 'liking' of this or that and comments some of my irreverent and obnoxious friends make. lol. I decided that while I'm trying to find a job to just NOT HAVE THAT ACCOUNT… but anyways, I would like to know how on earth people can post things that get them fired if it is 'friends only'…
NOTHING posted in public is private....NOTHING!!!!!

It has been proven over and over again that people....not even in healthcare....get fired over FB

The NCSBN position paper......https://www.ncsbn.org/Social_Media.pdf

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN

1 Article; 20,908 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

ktwlpn, LPN

3,844 Posts

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I saw a post by the family of a resident in the LTC on a co-workers face book feed. ***! I can't wait for the next time the family member freaks out over something and then references the co-workers comments about "working short" or being exhausted after working back to back doubles. The icing on the cake was the pic of the late stage dementia resident propped up out in the blazing sun.IN a sweater.

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